Bling for Broke

Mod Mosaic Mini

2009-03-18T13:01:00.005-04:00

The color, the pebbled effect: there's something gorgeously dusk-like about this mini dress. The fact that it's on sale for $34.99 means I may need to throw down my credit card number ASAP.

Red Carpet Looks, Real Cheap

2009-03-16T13:28:00.002-04:00

With me and Herve Leger's bandage dress, it was pretty much love at first sight. Alas, I don't have the dough to spend on one of his creations. In searching for cheaper replicas, I found two sick interpretations: one by BeBe for $159 and another by Nicole Miller for $312 at Bluefly.com.

Click the video to check out these looks as well as red carpet-worthy creations from LuLu's and Marc Bouwer.

Fab Finds Under $50 #1

2009-03-12T17:46:00.002-04:00

Some things defy categorization. That's what "Fab Finds Under $50" (aka "Random Cool Things Roundup" aka I haven't really settled on a name for this segment yet so send in your suggestions, won't you?) is for. On deck in this episode:

Old Navy's colorful canvas flats: $19.50.

Target's Hayden-Harnett double-flap bag: $29.99.

Fred Flare's 2-carat cup: $18.

MoMA's color spectrum umbrella: $40.

What awesome stuff under $50 are you digging? Comment and let me know -- girl's got only so much time to scour the Web.

2009-03-10T17:23:00.002-04:00

What's essential with rain boots? Knee-highs, or better yet, OVER-the-knee-highs. (I learned this the hard way yesterday when my ankle socks bunched into little balls around my toes.) Fred Flare's Harajuku socks look seamless and stylish with just about anything, and come in seven different colors to coordinate with all your gear. They're on sale now for $9.99/pair.

F Winter, I'm Shopping for Spring Part 2: Rain Boots

2009-03-09T17:21:00.003-04:00

Jay-Z's in the rain doing a buck 40 hydroplaning. Me? I'm puddle jumping my way through this dull and dreary New York Monday in rain boots. If you don't have a pair yet, I highly recommend you get some for spring. Wet feet are so not fly. Below, click the video and check out some choice options:

Old Navy's yellow wellies, $19.50.

Urban Outfitters' equestrian rain boots, $48.

Target's perfect plaid boots, $24.99.

Gabriella Rocha's bad ass skull-printed boots, $40.

F Winter, I'm Shopping for Spring Part 1: Trench Coats

2009-02-26T12:31:00.002-05:00

I'm done. For real though -- winter on the east coast sucks. Doesn't matter that I'm a Jersey girl at heart, I'll never get used to snow and sleet and 20 degree wind chills.

So I'm setting my mind on spring and shopping for the season's essentials. First up: trench coats. This berry-colored one from Target is BOLD -- and at $39.99, cheap enough that you can buy a black or neutral hued one to wear on days when you don't feel like stopping traffic.

If you've got a little more dough to spare, spring for Michael Kors' cobalt-colored, mid-length trench. It's $96 at Bluefly.com -- way below retail.

I'm loving the deep purple color of this trench, which lets it transition easily from the dark days of winter to the warmer breezes of spring. It's $59.99 at Overstock.com.

Another purple option, this time more casual: Sashimi's belted trench, on sale at Nordstrom.com for $38.90. It also comes in teal and burgundy.

But these are just the trenches I'm digging -- let me know what you're excited to buy this spring and where you plan to shop. And F the cold. I'm pretty sure that if you stare it down hard enough, it'll go away.

In which we gift because Hallmark says so, dammit.

2009-02-12T06:48:00.005-05:00

Installment numero uno of "Bling for Broke": The video version. It's a timely topic -- what to get the guy in your life for Valentine's Day without sacrificing the bones you set aside to buy yourself a hot dress. We mined mall staples -- Old Navy, Urban Outfitters, H&M -- and came up with five fab ideas under $50.

But truth be told, if you really want to save money this Valentine's Day, do what I do -- don't celebrate it, at least not in the traditional sense. My plan? Pork sandwiches at NY hole-in-the-wall Porchetta. I'm certain St. Valentine would have appreciated a boned-out hog much more than a bouquet with baby's breath. (However, he'd probably go for the hoodies in this episode.) Happy Hallmark holiday!

B4B Version 2.0

2009-02-10T14:29:00.005-05:00

New year, new agenda: Bling for the Broke's jumping into the world of viral video, beaming to your computer screen via the magic of YouTube. Episodes will break down all you need to know to stay stylin' in this brokedown economy. And it ain't just for New Yorkers no more: Wherever you are, whatever you do, Bling for the Broke will show you how to make those Benjis (or Andrew Jacksons, as the case may be) stretch further than a pair of Lycra leggings on Madonna's legs.

B4B's inaugrual Webisode will debut this week. Stay tuned ...

The Unisex Circle Scarf

2008-11-19T05:10:00.003-05:00

So, uh, remember when I said I'd aim to post on this blog everyday? Definitely threw in that qualifier for a reason.

Anyway, one of my latest obsessions: American Apparel's apparently unisex circle scarf. It is nothing more than a large, well, circle of cotton. But damn if it isn't ingenius.

Dov Charney done did it again, manufacturing a new wardrobe essential as simple as it is versatile. The thing can be wrapped around one's body at least 12 different ways -- my current favorite: over the neck twice, giving the wearer the option of a makeshift hood should he or she not have an 'ella 'ella handy in the rain/sleet/snow.

I call the circle scarf "apparently unisex" because frankly, only a certain type of hipster boy can rock this look. It ain't for every Tom, Dick and Harry. But girls, this thing is the new pashmina. Get it, wrap it, love it.

The Unisex Circle Scarf

$28.00

http://store.americanapparel.net

Under New Management

2008-11-10T18:05:00.004-05:00

In the spirit of election 2K8, whose electric conclusion and epilogue kept me from updating this blog for more than a week (that's my story and I'm sticking to it), B4thaB brings you a piece of memorabilia more functional than the front page of the Nov. 5 NY Times and about 8000x more likely to get you laid than a "Palin 2012" pin. (Even if you're wearing that thing ironically, I mean, come on. Not cool.)

This T, however, is. Printed on American Apparel's heather gray track shirt (a personal favorite, but that's another story for another day), it's a subtle yet sexy sign of the times.

Oh, and what sends its cool quota through the roof, at least in my book? Yeezy's endorsement. Can't go wrong with Kanye.

Under New Management
$22.00
http://printliberation.com

Color Cube

2008-10-30T12:24:00.005-04:00

Not to get all feng shui on your asses, but the importance of having toys in one's workspace cannot be overstated. Play breeds productivity, at least in my book, and ought to be as integral to the 9-to-5 as coffee and conference calls.

My co-worker's Color Cube utterly enthralled me for fifteen minutes this morning. If you know me and my ADD, you know this is an accomplishment. The MoMA store describes this little block of brilliance as a collection of "multi-hued cubes that can be flipped and opened continuously" with an array of colors that create a "distinct visual experience." I describe it as "da bomb."

Color Cube
$10.00
http://www.momastore.org

Kashkaval: Cheese Market and Wine Bar

2008-10-29T11:24:00.003-04:00

Wine bars are a dime a dozen in Manhattan, but GOOD wine bars where you can get a $12 plate of assorted tapas to sop up your $20 bottle of Montepulciano ... those are tough to come by. Kashkaval is second to none, especially in Columbus Circle, where you could conceivably pay close to $20 for a glass of wine at a nearby hotel bar. It looks like a deli out front but it's a party in the back, and if tapas ain't enough to sate your appetite, spring for the Chicken Cilantro, Kashkaval Fondue or craft a cheese and meat plate -- though you're not really springing since all entrees run $12 a pop, leaving you with enough cash to down a second bottle of wine, just in case it's one of those nights. (And isn't it always?)

Kashkaval
856 9th Ave, between 55th and 56th Streets
(212) 581-8282
Subway: A, B, C, D, 1 at 59th St.-Columbus Circle
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-midnight; Sun, 11am-11pm
Reservations: Not for parties under 6
Pay by: American Express, MasterCard, Visa

In cheap and awesome we trust

2008-10-28T16:32:00.001-04:00

New York City and a budget go together like moderation and an open bar. It's a tough combination -- always has been, always will be. But now more than ever, unless you can clap your hands like you've got Lil Wayne's bankroll, you're probably wondering how the hell to live it up in this town when the Dow's fluctuating more than Britney Spears' waistline.

Bling for the Broke is here to help. Check this blog for tips on hot restaurants, bars, events, and products that will make your life better without raping your wallet. B4thaB (as the cool kids call it) will shoot to showcase something stellar at least once a day.

Remember: Right now, money IS a thing. But it doesn't mean you can't live like Jay and Jermaine, at least in theory. Cheers.